Local authority funding for care
Depending on the support you need and your finances, you may be able to receive help towards the cost of your care.
This may pay for all of your care or some of your care.
A means tested financial assessment will decide how much help you can get towards the cost of care.
If we pay towards your care you can still pay for extra care yourself if you want.
If we help pay for your care this can be done in many ways:
- we can arrange the care for you and pay for it
- we can pay you money and you can arrange your own care (direct payments)
- you can arrange your care and we can pay them (individual service funds)
Or you can purchase care yourself privately without an assessment.
If you think you need care and would like a financial assessment please call 01708 432000.
If we are already helping you with the cost of care and you would like to change how it is paid, or if you think you may need more help please call 01708 432000.
Below is an outline of the types of way we can pay for care. At the bottom of the page are two booklets on how we assess finances in fuller detail.
Care arranged and paid for by us
After the assessment is carried out we will arrange the care and pay for it directly to the care provider. We work directly with them and explain to them the care you need.
Direct payments
After the assessment we calculate how much money the care you need would cost.
We then give this to you in the form of a pre-paid card that’s loaded with your money monthly.
You can nominate someone to manage these payments on your behalf or use a payroll company.
How you spend your direct payment money is determined by your assessment. You may be able to use it to:
- pay for support to help you at home
- employ a personal assistant to help you with getting washed and dressed
- buy your care from a care agency
- pay for a short term break, but not an overseas holiday
- pay for small equipment to help you
If you want to employ a personal assistant we can help you with this.
Find out more about personal assistants and direct payments
Direct payments do not count as income and do not affect benefits like housing benefit or Universal Credit.
Individual service funds
This is where we can pay a care agency directly to provide your care.
With an individual service fund, the care agency:
- agrees with you how they will support you
- will develop your weekly support plan with you
- manage the payments for the service
- can only spend the amount of money given to them
- is reimbursed for the cost of service by us
Finance charging booklets
- Paying for non-residential care services
- Paying for care in a residential home, nursing home or residential college
Financial assessment
If you are getting a chargeable service then you will be asked to take a financial assessment to establish your liability towards your care fees.